Apple's WWDC 2020: what to expect and keynote livestream

Now, rumors suggest that a redesign is finally coming and could well be announced during WWDC 2020. Don’t expect anything extraordinary in terms of looks, however; the new iMac is expected to follow the iPad Pro aesthetic, with equally-sized bezels all around the display.

AirPods Studio

Another Apple product that’s been mentioned in rumors for a while might also be announced at this year’s WWDC: the AirPods Studio (unconfirmed name). These new AirPods will be Apple’s first over-the-ear headphones. Needless to say, they’ll be wireless and use Bluetooth and Apple’s proprietary chips for connectivity, although a Lightning cable should also be included for charging and wired audio connection.

Active noise canceling is a must if Apple wants to compete with Sony and Bose’s top wireless headphones, which means the price for the AirPods Studios could be around the $350 mark as well.

AirTags

AirTags might be the least exciting new product that’s rumored to be announced. It’s also the one that you’re most likely to buy at some point, if you’re part of the Apple ecosystem. AirTags will be small devices that you can attach to whatever you want and be able to track its location through your iPhone, iPad or Mac. To do that, each AirTag will make use of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Apple’s own U1 chip for ulra-wideband connectivity. Basically, you’ll be able to look for your car keys through the Find My app.

WWDC 2020 software announcements

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14

Every year, like clockwork, there’s a new version of iOS to come alongside the new iPhone in Fall. But while we’re not getting any official news about the phone anytime soon, Apple announces the operating system earlier to give developers time to make adjustments or incorporate new features into their apps.

With iOS 14, we don’t expect any major changes. iOS 13 has been buggier than usual and Apple is said to be focusing on stability and performance with iOS 14, rather than innovation. That doesn’t mean there won’t be new additions, of course.

Here are some new features expected in iOS 14:

• Homescreen customization with widgets and smart dynamic wallpapers
• Change default apps and partial installation with 'Clips'
• AR Maps
• Offline Siri
• Built-in translator
• Picture-in-Picture mode for videos
• Fitness app
• iMessage retraction and typing indicator
• Find My app with AR mode and location triggers

Overall, the features are pretty self-explanatory. Once the official announcements are made, we’ll have posts with further details about everything new coming to your iPhone.

As you can see, Augmented Reality is being integrated even stronger within iOS, which makes perfect sense considering some iPhone 12 Pro models will come with LiDAR technology for extra-precise AR experience. And let's not forget the mystical Apple Glasses.

watchOS 7

Apple’s smartwatches look almost identical between generations, but what they have inside and what software they’re running can make a huge difference in the way you use them. That’s why changes in watchOS 7 are quite important for the millions of Apple Watch users.

Here are some of the new features expected in watchOS 7:

• Sleep tracking
• Kids mode
• Face sharing

Sleep tracking has been a main feature on smartwatches for years but it’s not yet on the Apple Watch yet. Rumors suggest that will change this year, so fingers crossed!

Kids mode will allow parents to pair a second (if they already have one) Apple Watch to their iPhone and have certain restrictions as to how it can be used.

Face sharing refers to watch faces and will let Apple Watch users exchange the watch faces they’ve customized themselves.

When it comes to watchOS 7 compatibility with older Apple Watch models, the general consensus at the moment is that Apple Watch Series 3 and newer models will get the new operating system. However, some features might be limited to fewer models, depending on hardware requirements.

WWDC 2020 schedule and where to watch

As we mentioned earlier, WWDC 2020 begins with the Special Event Keynote on June 22 at 10 AM Pacific Daylight Time. That’s when all the major announcements will be made, so it’s definitely worth tuning in. You can watch it live directly on Apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app, or YouTube.

The only other event on June 22 is the Platforms State of the Union panel at 2 PM PDT. On it, engineers will talk a bit more about what’s coming to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This event and the rest of the WWDC events will be available only on the Apple Developer app and Apple Developer website, for free.

From June 23 to June 26, there will be more than 100 engineering sessions where developers will get a more technical look into the upcoming changes and learn how to build their apps for Apple’s new operating systems.

During the same time, 1-on-1 Developer Labs will be held as well. For those, developers have to apply in advance and will be able to get “one-on-one technical guidance and in-depth details on how to implement new features”. For obvious reasons, recordings of those meetings won’t be made public.

And that’s pretty much it! Since most of us aren’t developers, the exciting part will be over in a day, but hopefully, there will be as many announcements as we expect and we’ll have a lot to talk about once it’s done.